Safety wringer feed device



June 24, 1941; RF R 2,246,829

SAFETY WRINGER FEED DEVICE Original Filed Jan. 2, 1955 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 In'szEmTcE. aye/4M w (um 1M,

June 24, 1941.-

A. W. ALTORFER SAFETY WRINGER FEED DEVICE Original Filed Jan. 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTYEE= Patented June 24, 1941 UNITED STATES-PAINT ()FFICE SAFETY WRINQER FEED DEVICE AlpheusW. Altorfer, Peoria, 111.

Application January 2, 1935, Serial No. s3 Renewed July 14, 1939 6 Claims.

This invention is directed to wringer mechanism, particularly to a mechanism operated by and co-operative with a roll wringer mechanism for the purpose of inducting clothes into the rolls,

without necessity of an operator placing fingers near the rolls, whereby to promote safety in practical operation of a wringer.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an oscillating flipper member disposed adjacent to the rolls on the receiving side of a wringer, which member is driven by the roll mechanism and is capable of promoting induction of garments into the rolls so as to obviate the need for an operator to place the fingers in proximity to the rolls when wringing clothing i or the like.

Another object is to provide a device as described wherein the flipper member may be installed upon either side of the wringer to the end that it may be used only on the intake side. and

will not become an obstruction to the, freedischarge of garments on the opposite side. v

A further object is to provide a driving connection between the flipper and wringer mechanism which connection is resilient so that, when free movement of the flipper is obstructed, the connection will give way temporarily and ,thus obviate possible damage to the mechanism.

Other objects will appear in the following description and accompanying drawings in which;

Fig. l is an exterior plan view of a wringer mechanism with which my invention is shown embodied;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same with portions broken away to permit clear view of certain underlying portions;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational. sectional view taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, taken on line 4- 4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fractional sectional elevational view taken on line 55 in Fig. 3; and V Fig. 6 is a fractional elevational view taken on line 6-6 in Fig. 2.

Figs. 1 and 2 disclose my invention as operably associated with a roll wringer mechanism which may be of conventional design, the drivinghead mechanism of which is covered by a casing structure l and the roll mechanism covered by a frame and casing structure H. The mechanism may include means for manually operating a roll release mechanism. such as the device l2. The latter is not a part ofthe present invention and therefore will not be described further.

The drawings indicate that the roll casin structure H is provided with outwardly and downwardly directed apron member l3 extending substantially across the working length of the wringer rolls on both sides thereof.

At each end of the apron members there are provided outwardly directed end portions H extending from the lowerends of the aprons upwardly a substantial distance along the frame structure H and having at their upper portions outwardly extending lobed portions l and the lobes l5 lying at the end adjacent to the driving head structure it), and the lobes l5 disposed at the opposite end.

Disposed in lobes 15 there are mechanisms, Fig. 5, consisting of shafts l6, which are journalled in the lobe structure. The inner ends of the shafts carry relatively short arms I! and to the outer ends thereof are attached somewhat longer arms l8.

Pivotally attached to the free ends of arms I8 are block members l9 through which pass, in slidable relation, the rounded outer portions of a bar member 20. r

The bar member is slidably supported in frame structure I! and the ends thereof extend a substantial distance beyond the blocks IS.

The ends of the bar member are fitted with nuts 2| which abut receptacle members 22, and between members 22 and blocks it) are coil springs 23.

Abutment members 24 are secured to bar on the sides of blocks I9 opposite springs 23.

Fig. 4 illustrates that bar 20 is disposed between the shafts 25 and 26 of the wringer rolls 21 and 28, and carries at its central portion a yoke member 29 the extending 'ar ms of which engage in an annular groove 30 of an eccentric member 3|, which is secured to wringer roll shaft 26. V

.Invie'w of the foregoing, it Will be ap arent that rotationof shaft 26'and eccentric 3| will produce reciprocating movement of bar 20 to rock the arms i8, upon their pivotal supports, to bring about a like movement of arms 11. The purpose of this will be explained shortly.

Upon the inner side of lobe portions l5, Fig. 6, there are secured elongated lugs 32 havingsemicircular upper conformity similar to the corresponding portion of arms I] and resting upon these is a scoop or flipper member 33.

Member 33 has a hairpin-like cross section with one leg 34 substantially straight and the opposite leg 35 diverted outwardly from leg 34 as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will'be noted that momber 33 is of such length as to loosely flt between the upright portions l4 and to rest upon the arms I1 and lugs 32.

As indicated in Fig. 3 the arm I! is so proportioned as to fit the upper sectional form of member 33, and it is shown in Fig. 6 that lug 32 has its upper end fashioned to fit the arcuate portion thereof but has its lower portion contracted to an extent sufficient to permit rocking movement of member 33 upon the lug as clearly shown in dotted lines.

It will now become apparent that with member 33 supported upon arms I! and lugs 32 as described, reciprocal movement of bar 20 will bring about rocking movement of arm I! to produce accompanying swinging motion of member 33 as indicated in solid and dotted lines in Fig. 3. The function of lugs 32 is obviously to support the end [of member 33 opposite the driving arm l1. The swinging motion noted obviously tends to urge garments fed across the top of member 33, toward the wringer rolls to accomplish induction of garments into the rolls, which function would ordinarily require the presence of an operators fingers in. close proximity to the rolls.

The function of springs 23, which have already been described, is to provide a yielding connection between the power source and member 33 so that in case the motion of member-33 should be obstructed, as by an unusually large portion of garments entering between the rolls andmember, bar 20 may move through its complete stroke without injury to the garments or mechanism.

Member 33 is made removable from the supports noted and may therefore be-instal-led upon either side of the wringer so as to be available for feeding garments from either side.

The foregoing description is thought to disclose the structure and function of my safety feed mechanism in a clear manner.

Modifications of structure are obviously possible without alteration of the principle of my invention. I do not wish to be limited in application of the structure or principle disclosed except within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A safety feed device for a wringer having cooperative rolls comprising a cam on one of said rolls, a supporting frame, a shaft mounted in said frame on an axis substantially parallel to the axes of the rolls, an arm secured to and extending transversely of said shaft, means connecting said arm with the cam on one of said rolls for rocking said shaft, and a feed plate associated with said arm for movements thereby and therewith, said plate having aportion-arrangedto move in a path such as to urge garments into position to be grasped by the rolls.

2. A safety feed device for a wringer having cooperative rolls comprising. a cam on one of said rolls, a supporting frame, a shaft associated with said frame on an axis ubstantially parallel to the axes of said rolls, an arm secured to and extending transversely of said shaft, means including a yielding member connecting said arm with the cam on one of said rolls for rocking said shaft, and a feed plate associated with said arm for movements thereby and therewith, said plate having a portion movable towardthe bite of the rolls whereby to urge garments theretoward.

3. A mechanical wringerfeed device, including rolls and frame, mechanism on one end of one roll to cause alternate reciprocal movement of a cross bar resiliently hung on arms pivotally mounted on the end of the wringer frame and means to attach a separable flipper board member to one arm to be actuated by alternate rotational movement of said arm whereby the lower edge of the flipper board oscillates in an arc substantially tangent to the surface of the lower roll adjacent to the bite of theroll thereby feeding garments between the rolls.

4. A mechanical wringer feed device including in combination, a conventional clothes wringer frame and rolls, mechanism on one end of one roll to cause alternate reciprocal movement of a cross bar resiliently hung on dual arms pivotally mounted on one end of the wringer frame at a point substantially level with the center of the top roll, drain boards extending upwardly toward and adjacent the lower roll at a point substantially level with the center of the lower roll, thence downwardto a point substantially levelwith the bottom'of the lower roll, and means to attach a separable flipper board member to one arm to be actuated by'alternate rotational movement of said. arm whereby the lower edge of the flipper board is oscillated in an arc extending from a point adjacent the upper edge of the drain board and thence upward to a point approximately level with the bite of the rolls, there- .by stopping in-fed garments atapoint above the lower edge of the lower roll and feeding them between the rolls.

5. A mechanical wringer feed device including in combination, a conventional clothes wringer frame and rolls, mechanism on one end of one roll to cause alternate reciprocal movement of across bar resiliently hung-on dual arms. pivotally mounted on one end' of the wringer'frame at a point substantially level with the center of the top roll, means to attach a'separable flipper board member to one arm to be actuated by alternate rotational movement of said. arm whereby the-lower edge/of the flipper board is oscillated in an arc substantially tangent to the surface of the lower roll adjacent the bite of the roll, and drain boards extending upwardly toward and adjacent the lower roll to a point sub- .Stantially level with the center of. the lower roll, thence downward to a point substantially level with the bottom of the lower roll co-acting with the said flipper board to form. a hopper extending from the bottom of the lower roll to the top of the flipper board whereby in-fed clothes are in combination, conventional clothes wringer caught in the hopper and then fed between the rolls. Y F

6. A wringer device including wringer rolls'in superposed relation in a vertical plane, a drainboard below the bite of the rolls and having its upper edge adjacent to the surface of the lower roll, a flipper board pivoted forwardly of the upper roll and having a surface facing the rolls, and a lower edge adapted to move closely adjacent to the apron surface and into the space between the rolls forming thebite thereof, and

actuating means to oscillate said flipper board including a part disposed on an end of the flipper board and actionable in a plane normal to the surface of the flipper board, within the flipper board, and exposed to view only from the under side of the flipperboard, and frictionally engaging the flipper board only at the ends thereof, and non-rotatable relative thereto.

ALPHEUS W. ALTORFER. 

